Fire escape



Dec. 27, 1949 w. w. YEHLING 2,492,511

FIRE ESCAPE Filed Feb. 14, 1946' 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WT fl/i'leizlirg INVEN TOR.

BY 6% Q 4 Dec. 27, 1949 w. w. YEHLING FIRE ESCAPE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 14, l946 main/zany INVENTOR.

Patented Dec. 27, 1949 rmes sra f I WilliamW. Yehling, Spokane, Wash; mammalian, 1946 ,.S81'ia11 no; 54mm into active position at which time it assumes the form of asubstantiallyverticali ladder;

With the foregoingand other, objects. in view which willappem' asthe' descriptionproceeds,;the invention consists of certain novel details .of construction and combinations of'parts; hereinafter morefully-described and pointed outinthe claim, it being understoodthataachanges may be made in. the construction and arrangement of.

parts without departing from "the. spiriteof' the" invention as "claimed:

In the accompanying drawing the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawing Figure 1 is a side elevation of the fire escape set up for use, portions being broken away and the position of the parts when the fire escape is collapsed, being indicated by broken lines.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the structure shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged section on line 3-3, Figure 1, the collapsed position being indicated by broken lines.

Figure 4 is a section through a portion of the ladder taken on the line 4-4 Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an enlarged side elevation of the latch portion of the fire escape.

Figure 6 is a front elevation of the structure shown in Figure 5, a fire escape being shown secured in collapsed position.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference I designates a channeled main member of such length as to extend from a point adjacent to the ground or other receiving surface thereunder to the uppermost point to be reached by the fire escape. This main channeled strip I can be fastened fiat against a wall W in any suitable manner so as to be rigid relative thereto.

Extending through the main channel member I at regular intervals are transverse hinge bolts 2 and pivotally mounted on each of these bolts is a sleeve 3 provided at one end of a short arm 4 extending at right angles from one end of a step 5. The length of the arm 4 is equal to or less than the depth ofthe channel thestrip. 'I.' but the steps 5lfarerQf Suh lengththat; whenextendfe ed at. right. angles'tnthestrip I,, will extend; a considerable distance them beyond. Tothe outer ends of each. ofthesteps 5' is .pivotally none nested an: outer or movable channeled strips;

the connection being, effi'eicted'by means-of trans, verse Divot or" hinge bolts. 1 extendingthrough.

sleeves 8 at the outer ends of the respective. steps movable strip" 6 and are, joined rigidly theretoby meansofrivets H or the like; These vokesare' extended outwardly from the stri'pfi and toeach of'them isipivot'allyconnected' a latchingplate I? having a" tong e" l3 extending therefrom and formed'with a notch; I4.

Keepers'in theTm-m-"of laterally extended-"studs l5 are located at the sides of the main strip I and are so positioned that when the movable strip 6 is swung upwardly and backwardly toward the strip I so as to straddle it, the tongues I3 can be swung upwardly and backwardly by means of the plates I2 so that the studs I5 or keepers will be received by the notches I4. At this time the latch plates I2 are located past their dead centers so that the tongues are maintained in engagement with their keepers or studs I5 as shown for example by broken lines in Figure 1 and full lines in Figure 5. With the parts thus located all of the steps will be housed between the strips I and 6, the steps 5 being extended upwardly within the strips or the arms 4 extending forwardly as shown by broken lines in Figure 5. a

When it is desired to use the fire escape the movable member 6 is unlocked from the stationary member I by pushing outwardly on the latch plate or plates I2 so that the notched tongues I3 thus will become disengaged from their keepers [5. However by exerting sufhcient outward pressure against the movable member of the fire escape the tongues can be caused to lift ofi of their keepers due to the fact that the notches I4 have inclined walls which would act to deflect the tongues upwardly if subjected to excessive outward force.

When the movable member is pushed outwardly from the fixed member I it will swing downwardly,

the steps 5 and the arms 4 serving as connecting links between them, and this movement will conbe noted that a means is provided whereby automatic latch release of a lower movable member is caused by release of the movable member next above for outward swinging. The upper movable member 6 is disposed above movable member 16 next below. Latch plate l2 extending upwardly 10 With further reference to Figs. 5. and 6, it should 4 apply to all forms of ladders within the scope of the claim.

What is claimed is:

In a fire escape a stationary member, upper and lower movable members, steps hingedly connected at their opposite ends to the stationary member and to the movable members for swinging of the movable members away from the stationary member to provide a ladder, a latch plate pivoted at the-upper end of the lower member and including a. friction latch normally engaging the stationary member and releasable by pull exerted in a direction away from the stationary member, said latch plate being extended upwardly to overlie the lower end of the upper member so as to receive pressure from the upper member when from movable member 16 overlies the outer surface of member 6. Member 6 has secured to its inner surface, by means of rivet ILa shoe I8 that extends downwardly into engagement with the inner surface of the lower member 16. Accordingly, assuming that the uppermost movable member is released for outward swinging, and is no longer latched to and supported by the stationary member, said uppermost movable member'will exert outward pressure against the upwardly extended latch plate of the movable member next below. Additionally, shoe I8 will also exert outward pressure against the movable member next below, and the result will be that tongues [3 of said lower movable member, constituting a friction latch, will be given pull'in a direction away from the stationary member, and such pull will be sufficiently strong to disengage the latch. Thus,- each movable member automatically unlatches the movable member next below, and this is carried out all the way down the building.

' While this invention has been described more especially as a fire escape, it is to be understood that it can be used in many places where foldable ladders are desirable. Therefore the term ffire escape is to be understood as intended to the upper member is freed for swinging away from the stationary member, and means at the lower .end of the upper member for releasing the latch comprising a shoe extending downwardly from the lower end of the upper member and adapted to exert outward pressure against the lower member when said upper member is released for outward swinging.

WILLIAM W. YEHLING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

- UNITED STATES PATENTS 

